Childproof safety closure

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a safety closure associated with a container having a threaded finish, the closure including a closure body having an end panel and a peripheral skirt with inwardly opening diametrically opposed recesses having surfaces for camming a gripping element against the container finish automatically upon rotation of the closure in an unthreading direction. The gripping element is an inverted generally U-shaped member having ends exposed through apertures in the peripheral skirt which can be gripped to move the member toward the widemost portion of the recesses thereby releasing the gripping element to permit the unthreading of the closure from its associated container finish.

United States Patent 91 [111 3,750,817 Bozek 11 Aug. 7, 1973 CHILDPROOF SAFETY CLOSURE [75] Inventor: John S. Bozek, Chicago, Ill. [73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 228,217

[52] US. Cl. 215/9 [51] Int. Cl B65d 55/02 [58] Field of Search 215/9; 220/55 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,620,398 11/1971 Andersen 215/9 3,656,646 4/1972 Taylor 215/9 122w .Eiqmi'z rzfieei sls H31 1,w 7 Attorney-Charles E. Brown, Vincent L. Romik et al [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure relates to a safety closure associated with a container having a threaded finish, the closure including a closure body having an end panel and a pcripheral skirt with inwardly opening diametrically opposed recesses having surfaces for camming a gripping element against the container finish automatically upon rotation of the closure in an unthreading direction. The gripping element is an inverted generally U-shaped member having ends exposed through apertures in the peripheral skirt which can be gripped to move the member toward the widemost portion of the recesses thereby releasing the gripping element to permit the unthreading of the closure from its associated container finish.

16 Claims, 5 Drawing; Figures CHILDPROOF SAFETY CLOSURE Safety closures have recently come into prominence because of the desirability of federal, state and local agencies to preclude or substantially reduce accidental illness and/or death resulting from the consumption of harmful parkaged products. A most notable example is that of infants or younger children opening aspirin bottles and consuming the contents thinking it to be candy.

It is because of such typical accidental overdosages that many conventional so-called childproof" closures or simply safety" closures have been developed. Unfortunately, such conventional safety closures generally include a variety of disadvantages, the most common of which is the relatively high manufacturing cost due to intricate container and/or closure design. This is particularly true in the production of small lots wherein the cost of the dies themselves, in the case of injection and- /or compression molding techniques, is itself prohibitive from a cost standpoint.

The second disadvantage is the difficulty in intentionally opening many typical safety closures, the most common of which is various varities of palm ,and twist types. This has been found to be true when such closures are attempted to be opened by older or uneducated persons, particularly if they are handicapped or, for example, suffer from arthritis. It is for these and other reasons that the Food and Drug Administration lists among its requirements for safety closures not only criteria for precluding the accidental removal of a closure from an associated container, but criteria for the relatively easy removal of safety closures when such removal is intentionally desired.

In view of the foregoing disadvantages of conventional safety-type closures, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a safety closure which not only precludes inadvertent and/or accidental operation thereof, but permits ease of removal when intentionally desired.

The latter object is achieved by providing a safety closure which includes an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt adapted for telescopic unification with an associated threaded container finish, means for securing the closure to the container finish by rotational motion in a first direction, means for automatically gripping the container finish by rotational motion in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and means for releasing the gripping means to permit the removal of the closure from the associated container finish upon rotational motion thereof inthe second direction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel safety closure wherein means are provided for camming the gripping means into gripping engagement with the associated container finish upon rotation of the closure in the second direction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel safety closure of the type immediately aforesaid wherein the camming means are a plurality of recess means in the peripheral skirt in each of which is housed one of the gripping means, and each recess means progressively increases in radial width in the second direction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel safety closure of the type set forth including means spanning the closure end panel joining the gripping means together.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel safety closure as heretofore described wherein each gripping means includes an end. exposed exteriorly of the closure body through aperture means in the peripheral skirt thereof defining said releasing means for manually moving the gripping means in the recess means to a position permitting removal of the closure upon rotation thereof in the second direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel safety closure of the type defined heretofore wherein the releasing, gripping and spanning means are of a single piece construction, preferably in the form of a metallic wire or the like.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

threading direction.

FIG. 3 is a sectional viewtaken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrates recesses serving as means forcamming the gripping arms against the container finish upon the rotation of the closure in an unthreading direction which is counterclockwise as viewed in this same figure.

FIG. 4 is a view identical to FIG. 3 except illustrating the closure slightly rotated counterclockwise whereat the recesses cam the arms to a position grippingly engaging the container finish.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and illustrates one of a pair of aperture means in the closure peripheral skirt through which project ends of the U-shaped element which may be manually gripped to move the gripping element to the position illustrated in FIGS incident to the intentional rotational removal of the safety closure.

A novel safety closure constructed in accordance with'thisinvention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, and is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being applied-to a threaded finish ll of a conventional container 12 having a neck 13, a body 14, and a bottom wall (not shown).

The safety closure 10 is preferably though not necessarily constructed from plastic material and includes a circular end panel 15 and a depending peripheral skirt 16 having diametrically opposite aperture means 17 which function in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. An internal surface 18 (FIG. 5) of the peripheral skirt 16 includes a thread 20 which is in the form of a groove mainly contoured to the container neck finish 11, such that the closure can be threaded and unthreaded upon the container 12 by appropriate rotation imparted thereto in a conventional manner. The peripheral skirt 16 additionally includes diametrically opposite recess means 21 which extend upwardly from the apertures 17 and span the end panel 15, as is best illustrated in FIG. 5. The recess means 21 each include radial surfaces 22, 23 and a circumferential camming surface 24. The radial width or depth of the surfaces 22 is less than that of the surfaces 23 and, accordingly, the camming surface 24 progressively increases in radial depth or width in a direction from the surfaces 22 toward the surfaces 23 which is the direction of unthreading rotation of the closure which, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, is counterclockwise. This dimensioning of the surfaces 22 through 24 occurs only in those portions of the recess 21 of the peripheral skirt 16, it being noted from FIG. 5 that that portion of the recess 21 spanning the end panel has surfaces 22, 23 of an identical axial dimension.

Means generally designated by the reference numeral 25 is housed in the recess means 21 for automatically gripping the container finish 11 upon rotational motion being imparted to the closure 10 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings. The gripping means 25 is a generally inverted U-shaped element having a pair of depending arms 26 each housed in the portion of the recess 21 of the peripheral skirt l6 and a spanning portion 27 housed in that portion of the recess 21 spanning the interior of the end panel 15. Terminal end portions 28 of the arms 26 project outwardly of the peripheral skirt 16 through the apertures 17. The gripping element 25 is preferably a cylindrical resilient metallic rod bent to the configuration best illustrated in FIG. 2. The element 25 is necessarily of a resilient construction to not only facilitate the assembly thereof relative to the closure 10, but also to permit the closure 10 to operate as intended in the manner to be described immediately hereinafter.

Assuming that it is desired to apply the closure 10 to the container 12 one merely rotates the closure relative to the container 12 in a first direction which in the present instance is clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawing. When so rotated the arms 26 of the element 25 rest against the surfaces 23 and simply ride along the exterior of the threads (unnumbered) of the finish 11 because the axial width or depth of the wall 23 of each recess is sufficient to accommodate or house the arm 26 associated therewith. Stated another way, the diameter of each arm 26 is less than the radial distance between the greatest width of the recess 21 adjacent each wall 23 as measured to the outermost edge of the thread. Accordingly, free rotation is possible to permit the rapid assembly of the closure 10 to the container 12 by conventional capping equipment.

Assuming the now capped container 12 has packaged therein products which might be harmful to a youngster who has the capped container in his possession, efforts toward removing the closure 10 from the container 12 will prove fruitless, irrespective of various manipulations which might be attempted. Needless to say, clockwise rotation of the closure 10 by a youngster relative to the container 12 in an effort to remove the closure 10 will simply tighten the closure since, as was heretofore described, clockwise rotation simply threads the closure 10 upon the container finish 11. Should the youngster attempt to rotate the closure 10 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the closure will rotate slightly, namely from the fully threaded position of FIG. 3 to the cam locked position of FIG. 4. Upon applying counterclockwise rotation to the closure 10, as viewed in FIG. 3, the closure will rotate in this direction slightly but the element 25 will remain motionless as the surface 24 moves therealong until such time as a camming action takes place as the surface 22 approaches each of the arms 26. This is illustrated in FIG. 4, it being noted that each surface 24 has now flexed or forced each arm 26 into gripping engagement with the thread (unnumbered) of the container finish 11 thereby cammingly gripping the threaded finish and precluding the removal of the closure. In this manner apart from knowledgable control which is required for intentionally opening the closure, the contents remain inaccessible and imminent danger can be thus precluded.

When it is desired to intentionally remove the closure 10 from the container 12 the ends 28 are gripped to shift the element 25 bodily in the recess 21 from the position shown in FIG. 4 away from the surface 22 toward the surface 23 which is in effect the same as holding the element in the position shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter while so holding the element 25 and the closure rotation imparted in a counterclockwise direction will permit the unthreading of the closure 10 in the absence of any camming action thereby permitting the readily and easy removal of the closure from the container.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A safety closure comprising a closure body defined by an end panel and a peripheral skirt, means for securing said closure to a container finish by rotational motion in a first direction, means for automatically gripping a container finish by rotational motion in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and means for releasing said gripping means to permit the removal of the closure from an associated container finish upon rotational motion thereof in said second direction.

2. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided for camming said gripping means into gripping engagement with an associated container finish upon rotation of the closure in said second direction.

3. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at said peripheral skirt.

4. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at spaced points along said peripheral skirt.

5. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at spaced points along said peripheral skirt and said spaced gripping means are joined together by means spanning said end panel.

6. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body in recess means thereof.

7. The safety closure as defined in claim I wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body.

8. The safety closure as defined in claim I wherein said releasing means is an extension of said gripping means projecting through aperture means of said peripheral skirt.

9. The safety closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said camming means is recess means in said peripheral skirt in which said gripping means is housed, and said recess means progressively increases in radial width in said second direction.

10. The safety closure as defined in claim 9 wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body.

11. The safety closure as defined in claim 9 wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body through said peripheral skirt.

12. A safety closure comprising a closure body defined by an end panel and a peripheral skirt, means for securing said closure to a container finish by rotational motion in a first direction, means for automatically gripping a container finish by rotational motion in a second direction opposite to said first direction, means for releasing said gripping means to permit the removal of the closure from an associated container finish upon rotational motion thereof in said second direction, means for camming said gripping means into gripping engagement with an associated container finish upon rotation of the closure in said second direction, said camming means are a plurality of recess means in said peripheral skirt in each of which is housed one of said gripping means, and each recess means progressively increased in radial width in said second direction.

13. The safety closure as defined in claim 12 including means spanning said end panel joining said gripping means together.

14. The safety closure as defined in claim 12 wherein each gripping means includes one of said releasing means, and each releasing means is exposed exteriorly of said closure body.

15. The safety closure as defined in claim 14 wherein each gripping means includes one of said releasing means, and each releasing means is exposed exteriorly of said closure body through aperture means in said peripheral skirt.

16. The safety closure as defined in claim 14 wherein said releasing, gripping and spanning means are of a single piece construction. 

1. A safety closure comprising a closure body defined by an end panel and a peripheral skirt, means for securing said closure to a container finish by rotational motion in a first direction, means for automatically gripping a container finish by rotational motion in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and means for releasing said gripping means to permit the removal of the closure from an associated container finish upon rotational motion thereof in said second direction.
 2. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided for camming said gripping means into gripping engagement with an associated container finish upon rotation of the closure in said second direction.
 3. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at said peripheral skirt.
 4. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at spaced points along said peripheral skirt.
 5. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body at spaced points along said peripheral skirt and said spaced gripping means are joined together by means spanning said end panel.
 6. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripping means is positioned internally of said closure body in recess means thereof.
 7. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body.
 8. The safety closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasing means is an extension of said gripping means projecting through aperture means of said peripheral skirt.
 9. The safety closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said camming means is recess means in said peripheral skirt in which said gripping means is housed, and said recess means progressively increases in radial width in said second direction.
 10. The safety closure as defined in claim 9 wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body.
 11. The safety closure as defined in claim 9 wherein said releasing means are exposed exteriorly of said closure body through said peripheral skirt.
 12. A safety closure comprising a closure body defined by an end panel and a peripheral skirt, means for securing said closure to a container finish by rotational motion in a first direction, means for automatically gripping a container finish by rotational motion in a second direction opposite to said first direction, means for releasing said gripping means to permit the removal of the closure from an associated container finish upon rotational motion thereof in said second direction, means for camming said gripping means into gripping engagement with an associated container finish upon rotation of the closure in said second direction, said camming means are a plurality of recess means in said peripheral skirt in each of which is housed one of said gripping means, and each recess means Progressively increased in radial width in said second direction.
 13. The safety closure as defined in claim 12 including means spanning said end panel joining said gripping means together.
 14. The safety closure as defined in claim 12 wherein each gripping means includes one of said releasing means, and each releasing means is exposed exteriorly of said closure body.
 15. The safety closure as defined in claim 14 wherein each gripping means includes one of said releasing means, and each releasing means is exposed exteriorly of said closure body through aperture means in said peripheral skirt.
 16. The safety closure as defined in claim 14 wherein said releasing, gripping and spanning means are of a single piece construction. 